CELEBRATION TIME

John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

As I sit here staring out into another gorgeous sunrise I am taken back by the mood I have been in recently.  You see usually I have been waken by some beautiful sunrises.  The light slowly begins to peek into my room and I am allowed to see a sunrise.  For some reason, when I wake up this way, my day starts off on a positive note, but living here in Michigan we are never guaranteed to see the sunrise because of the clouds and rain.  Lately it seems like the clouds have covered up the beautiful sunrises.  I would wake up  to clouds and gloom.  Yes I realized the sun was still working and it was rising, I just couldn't see it.  It made me sad for some strange reason that I cannot explain.  This sunrise was actually a month ago taken off my deck.  It was one of the best I have seen.  The cascade of colors, the reflection in the lake and the breathtaking silence was amazing.  With each sunrise I would praise God and celebrate the birth of another day, another gift from God.  The thing that is puzzling me is why I got so down when I did not get to see the sunrise.  I knew it was there,  knew it was still rising even though I couldn't see it, then God brought me back to the story of doubting Thomas and this verse.  Why did I need to see the sunrise to celebrate the birth of a new day?  That is dumb!

The sun is just beginning to peek out from the darkness of the night and the sky is beginning to have pink highlights kiss the clouds.  Yes, there are clouds again, but this time I will continue to focus on the fact that I believe without seeing.  Fish are jumping out of the lake to catch their breakfast. Hopefully they are eating mosquitos, why did God create mosquitos?  I really want to know.  Anyway back to the sunrise.  I now realize that any day and everyday that I wake up I need to celebrate.  I really should not have to see a sunrise to make my day start off on the right track, after all I am alive.   God woke me up and I should have joy in my heart and a quick step to my feet.  God has placed me here at this time in history for a reason that I do not fully comprehend.  He gave me to ability to write for  purpose, so I do.  

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  I believe He came down from heaven and sacrificed His life so that you and I could be forgiven of our sins and live in eternity with Him and God.  I have never seen God and I have never seen Jesus, but I believe in them without having to see them.  Why? Well I know that there had to be a great power that created this world, it didn't just happen.  When I see a sunrise or a sunset, I am blown away by it's beauty.  To the witness the birth of a brand new baby is a miracle.  To see the natural beauty of this world, only brings me to one conclusion; someone worked very hard to create this world for me.  I don't have to see Him physically, I see Him everywhere I turn.  I see Him in everything I see and I see Him in everyone I meet.  To me it takes a fool to deny His existence,  but that is my personal opinion.  You see we don't see oxygen, but we believe it exists or else we would be dead.  I don't see the wind, yet I feel it as it kisses my cheeks on a hot summer day.  I don't see God, I don't see Jesus but I feel their presence with me every second of every day.  With every breath I breathe, I am reminded how precious this life is and how special I am to have the presence of my Savior with me.

Oh the sun has risen and it is now above the row of clouds that kept it hidden.  Yea!!!  Today I chose to celebrate this life I have been given by focusing not on what I see, but who lives in me.  I am going to have a celebration of my life knowing that the Holy Spirit of God dwells in me because I believe in  His Son, Jesus Christ.  I need to celebrate this life I have because all over the world, my fellow believers are being persecuted and dying because they believe.  To me that is hard for me to understand.   I cannot make someone believe what I believe.   I do not expect anyone to  believe just because I say they have to.  God gave us all a free will and we all have choices to make.  No one forced me to believe what I believe.  I chose this path I am on and I have been greatly blessed because I have chosen to believe.   I did not do anything spectacular or earth shattering to receive the blessings I have, I simply believed and trusted in God and His Son Jesus Christ.  His grace is a free gift I cling to and claim as my prize.  To believe without seeing, some may see as ignorant, I see it differently.  To have to see before believing is a sad way to live.  I believe therefore I have been saved ad redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Everyday I am alive is a day to celebrate.

May the doubts in your mind be filled with the truth of who God is and who Jesus Christ is.  May you learn to believe without having to see the evidence.  May you learn to celebrate each day of your life, in Jesus name I pray, amen.